What Empathy can't do;- Be used for healing. (If you want a squad healer, you need a Blood sorcerer.)- Be used over a long distance during battle. Immediate surrounding are most likely to be affected first.- Be used while actively fighting. It requires focus to use empathy.- Be used on demons.- Be used while casually riding/running around. Again, it requires concentration and focus.

What Empathy can do;- It is the equivalent of a strong pain killer and can help make an injured squad member comfortable.- During close combat, an Empath may use it to disrupt an opponent, but must be protected while doing so.- Can sense nearby auras and possibly determine hostile intent.- Can influence other beings to be more cooperative during interrogations or negotiations, or make hostile wildlife more friendly.- If opponents are non-drow, empathy will have a more powerful effect on them, so long as the Empath is close to the group he wishes to affect.

These rules are a result of recent refinements to the setting, summed up here for your convenience.

Since empath can serve as a pain killer, couldn't they have the ability to administer first aid as well? May not be as effective as a blood healer as far as healing is concerned, but if would certainly make them more rounded out.

Aerisa wrote:Since empath can serve as a pain killer, couldn't they have the ability to administer first aid as well? May not be as effective as a blood healer as far as healing is concerned, but if would certainly make them more rounded out.

Pain killers alone do not close an open wound, it can dull the senses. Wouldn't make sense for an emotion-based power to alter damage flesh.

Aerisa wrote:Since empath can serve as a pain killer, couldn't they have the ability to administer first aid as well? May not be as effective as a blood healer as far as healing is concerned, but if would certainly make them more rounded out.

Pain killers alone do not close an open wound, it can dull the senses. Wouldn't make sense for an emotion-based power to alter damage flesh.

That is NOT what I am asking, or suggesting. I said, FIRST AID. Aka, disinfecting, bandaging wounds, etc. Empaths could have a speciality in this meaning that, while their intervention would not be as effective as a blood healer, it would be more effective than if, say, a squad was hit hard and a warrior found himself forced to do it.